The Friday Roundup

The following list is a small portion of my week. But trust me, these are the highlights:

I’ve blogged a lot this week. Weird.

I’ve been training my dog. Exhausting.

Justin Timberlake’s new album came out. Awesome.

I had my first real article published on HollywoodJesus.com. Surreal.

I have found plenty to be thankful for. Needed.

So, let’s break it down, shall we?

Blogging this week: Sometimes the urge just strikes. And the more you write, the better you supposedly become at it. I hope this is true in my case. It’s amazing what writing does for me. It lays out my thoughts and feelings in a way that allows me to process, think and express myself in ways I can’t verbally. Which is pretty interesting, since I love talking so much. I hope you’ve enjoyed this week’s posts and know that I am doing my darndest to keep this pace up.

Training my dog: Has any one besides Steve Irwin wrestled an alligator? Because that’s what it feels like when I take my 10 month old Australian Cattle Dog for a walk. (Yeah. I’m exhausted.) For the last week I have been getting up at 6 in the morning and going for a 3-4 mile walk with the pup. I know he loves it. Me? I’m seeing the health benefits, but the sleep deprivation is killing this night owl. Somewhere between 30 and 31, I’m becoming an old lady who actually needs more than 5 hours of sleep a night.

Justin Timberlake’s new album: Mock me all you want to, but I love this album. And I’m not even blaming it on my inner 13-year-old who loves to bust out the *NSYNC CDs every now and again (and by “now and again” I mean once a week…). The album itself takes a while to get into because it is not your traditional pop album. If you want a great song to get hooked on, skip “Suit and Tie” and consume “Pusher Love Girl”. Sure, he’s comparing his lady love to a variety of street drugs, but the man can write a pop hook like nobody’s business.

First article: That’s right. I’m big time. Ok. Not really. But I am officially published on a real website, and not just on my blog. I had the opportunity to interview a contestant for the game show “The American Bible Challenge”. You can check it out here. It was definitely a highlight of my week and I’m thankful for the opportunity. I’ll let you know when my next article pops up.

Thankfulness: I’ve been contemplating what it means to live thankfully. While I struggle with many things and feel like I’m very much in a state of enduring through difficulty, I realize that I have so much to be thankful for. I am overwhelmed with the love I receive from family and friends. I know that there are people who are praying for me, walking with me, and encouraging me even though I might not see them or talk to them every day. I’ve been given a wonderful community here in Colorado Springs and I am growing to love my city more and more as time goes by. The biggest lesson I’m learning is that I need to continue to be thankful in the ordinary-ness of life. And once again, Bonhoeffer comes to the rescue with this quote:

“We pray for the big things and forget to give thanks for the ordinary, small (and yet really not small) gifts.” Dietrich Bonhoeffer, Life Together

Every day, every moment, every opportunity is a gift. And I want to learn this, to etch it on the table of my heart. I want to live a life of thankfulness.

So friends, how are YOU doing? Tell me about your week, your highs and lows. I’d love to hear the good, the bad and the ugly. And after we share and shake off our burdens, we can dance. Because it’s Friday!